Group robot system that can obtain detailed overall information of object efficiently

• US 7,409,266 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hara, Keita, Hamamoto, Masaki, Ohta, Yoshiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiswanto; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/739,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 340/2.1, 340/825.02, 700/13, 700/19, 700/247, 700/253, 700/3, 700/58, 700/59, 700/64, 700/69, 700/8, 700/900, 702/1, 901/1
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 33/025 the entire wing moving either up or down
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/40 Ornithopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour

Abstract

A group robot system includes a plurality of sensing robots and a base station controlling the sensing robots, and establishes communication in a hierarchical manner. The hierarchical structure is formed of a plurality of levels between a plurality of sensing robots with base station as the highest hierarchical level. The first sensing robot detects an object; the second sensing robot conducts further search on the object; and the third sensing robot conducts communication relay between the first sensing robot and the base station. When the first sensing robot detects an object, the base station provides control such that all sensing robots, other than the first, second and third sensing robots, move outside the current area of search.

Claims

1. A group robot system comprising a plurality of sensing robots, and a control apparatus controlling (i) an operation of each of said plurality of sensing robots, and (ii) a definition of areas in which of each of said plurality of sensing robots are respectively located relative to said control apparatus,

wherein each of said plurality of sensing robots is equipped with the same sensor function and a predetermined sensor function level relative to the others of said plurality of sensing robots, and,

wherein said control apparatus responds to a detection of an object by one of said plurality of sensing robots (a) by providing a control such that another of said plurality of sensing robots that is equipped with a function level differing from the function level of said one of said plurality of sensing robots that detected said object conducts a further search for said object, and (b) by providing a control such that at least one of said plurality of sensing robots other than said one of said plurality of sensing robots that detected the object and said sensing robot conducting said further search moves outside of a respective area relative to said control apparatus in which it was located prior to the detection of the object.

2. The group robot system according to claim 1, wherein said control apparatus enables the predetermined sensor function level of a selected one of the plurality of sensing robots, and,

wherein, when said selected one of said plurality of sensing robots having the enabled function level detects an object, said control apparatus enables the predetermined function level of another of said plurality of sensing robots that differs from the function level of said one of said plurality of sensing robots that detected the object so as to provide a control such that said another of said plurality of sensing robots conducts a further search for said object.

3. The group robot system according to claim 1, wherein said relative sensor function levels of said plurality of sensing robots is determined by any of a sensing resolution, a sensor type, and a processing method of sensor information.

4. The group robot system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensing robots and said control apparatus conduct communication in a hierarchical manner wherein said control apparatus has the highest level of hierarchy, and

said control apparatus responds to a detection of an object by one of said plurality of sensing robots by providing control such that said one of said plurality of sensing robots that has detected the object and a another of said plurality of sensing robots located at a hierarchical communication position between said one of said plurality of sensing robots and said control apparatus that relays communication when hierarchical communication is conducted from said one of said plurality of sensing robots to said control apparatus moves outside a respective area relative to said control apparatus in which it was located prior to the detection of the object.

5. The group robot system according to claim 1, wherein

said control apparatus includes a pheromone robot controlling travel of at least one of said sensing robots,

and wherein said pheromone robot moves, when one of said plurality of sensing rebel robots detects an object, to a neighborhood of said object.

6. The group robot system according to claim 1, wherein

said control apparatus includes a pheromone robot controlling travel of at least one of said plurality of sensing robots,

said pheromone robot being responsive to a detection of an object by one of said plurality of sensing robots so as to provide a control such that another of said plurality of sensing robots different from the one of said plurality of sensing robots that has detected said object moves to a neighborhood of said pheromone robot.

7. The group robot system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensing robots is capable of fluttering flight by fluttering motion.

8. A sensing robot capable of fluttering flight included in a group robot system comprising a plurality of sensing robots and a control apparatus controlling (i) an operation of each of said plurality of sensing robots, and (ii) a definition of areas in which of each of said plurality of sensing robots are respectively located relative to said control apparatus,

wherein each of said plurality of sensing robots is equipped with the same sensor function and a predetermined sensor function level relative to the others of said plurality of sensing robots, and,

wherein said control apparatus responds to a detection of an object by one of said plurality of sensing robots (a) by providing a control such that another of said plurality of sensing robots that is equipped with a function level differing from the function level of said one of said plurality of sensing robots that detected said object conducts a further search for said object, and (b) by providing a control such that at least one of said plurality of sensing robots other than said one of said plurality of sensing robots that detected the object and said sensing robot conducting said further search moves outside of a respective area relative to said control apparatus in which it was located prior to the detection of the object.

9. A base station included in a group robot system comprising a plurality of sensing robots including at least one sensing robot capable of fluttering flight through a fluttering motion and a control apparatus controlling (i) an operation of each of said plurality of sensing robots, and (ii) a definition of areas in which of each of said plurality of sensing robots are respectively located relative to said control apparatus,

wherein said base station corresponds to said control apparatus,

wherein each of said plurality of sensing robots is equipped with the same sensor function and a predetermined sensor function level relative to the others of said plurality of sensing robots, and,

wherein said control apparatus responds to a detection of an object by one of said plurality of sensing robots (a) by providing a control such that another of said plurality of sensing robots that is equipped with a function level differing from the function level of said one of said plurality of sensing robots that detected said object conducts a further search for said object, and (b) by providing a control such that at least one of said plurality of sensing robots other than said one of said plurality of sensing robots that detected the object and said sensing robot conducting said further search moves outside of a respective area relative to said control apparatus in which it was located prior to the detection of the object.

10. A pheromone robot included in a group robot system comprising a plurality of sensing robots including at least one sensing robot capable of fluttering flight through a fluttering motion and a control apparatus controlling (i) an operation of each of said plurality of sensing robots, and (ii) a definition of areas in which of each of said plurality of sensing robots are respectively located relative to said control apparatus,

wherein said pheromone robot controls travel of at least one of said plurality of sensing robots capable of fluttering flight through a fluttering motion,

wherein each of said plurality of sensing robots is equipped with the same sensor function and a predetermined sensor function level relative to the others of said plurality of sensing robots, and,

wherein said control apparatus responds to a detection of an object by one of said plurality of sensing robots (a) by providing a control such that another of said plurality of sensing robots that is equipped with a function level differing from the function level of said one of said plurality of sensing robots that detected said object conducts a further search for said object, and (b) by providing a control such that at least one of said plurality of sensing robots other than said one of said plurality of sensing robots that detected the object and said sensing robot conducting said further search moves outside of a respective area relative to said control apparatus in which it was located prior to the detection of the object.